


From Beginning to End

by barbella



Category: Airwolf
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-17
Updated: 2016-08-20
Packaged: 2018-07-24 08:16:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7500873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/barbella/pseuds/barbella
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This story takes place with Stringfellow going to Nam and coming back without his brother.  He starts to become a recluse, revamping the cabin built by his grandfather.  It jumps to the  last episode Stringfellow was in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Memories of years past

The War in Vietnam was unlike any war the United States was involved in. It was not fought the ways traditional wars were fought. Children had bombs strapped to them, both sides were dressed the same, and there was a long history of fighting that spanned generations. In some ways it resembled the Civil War only taken to a much larger degree.

Stringfellow and Saint John Hawke enlisted months apart. The elder of the two, Saint John, managed to enlist because he could not stand the idea of waiting for his number to come up in the draft. Stringfellow followed on his brother's coat tails. He forged a birth certificate to chase after his brother. He went against his guardian's wishes, in part because he was lost without his brother. Dominic Santini had the hardest position of waiting for his 'sons' to come home.

By the time St. John was done with basic training; he was chosen for special ops. The training was intense, but he found himself immersed in the courses in such a way that he could block out missing his brother. He could sense his father urging him on.

Since the death of their parents, Sin Jin and String were closer than most brothers. Dominic took care of them but he could only do so much. He taught both boys to fly and how to put an engine together. Dom knew the importance of an education. He was proud of Sin Jin going into special forces out of basic because he knew that it would give him skills that he could not teach him. When he learned of String forging documents to follow in his brother's footsteps. he was outraged. He thought he had built a rapport with the boys when their parents had died. String had to have known that he would support him in whatever decisions he made. Dom liked to think that he had raised the boys in such a way that would make any man, especially his best friend, proud to be their father. 

When he got home late that night to find the note, he sat in the kitchen and wept. He prayed for both of 'his' boys. He could have reported String and forced him to come back home, but what good would it do? Both he and his brother were joined at the hip. They had a kinship that was special to them. The bond was formed by the suddenness of their parents death. It gave them a connection forged in grief and grown by mutual respect and love. When he spoke with String after basic training, he told him how proud he was of his boys. He let him know that all was forgiven. He prayed for their safe return.

String found he liked the discipline of the service. He had managed to get in touch with Sin Jin and they kept tabs on each other while fighting a useless war. They didn't know the country, they were in an oppressive environment, and they didn't know who to trust. They were thousands of miles from home dropped in the middle of a war they didn't really understand. Pot and alcohol were abundant. String's major concern was his brother and getting back to the states in one piece.

It was during this time that he had met a certain man with a penchant for white. You could always spot the white silk scarf around his neck. How he managed to keep it white was something String could not understand. When Michael Coldsmith Briggs III found out that String was an excellent mechanic and pilot, he pulled a few strings and managed to get him a job to which he was more qualified. It was during those runs that he learned Michael worked for a trio of initials. Occasionally he would copilot with him and drop him off somewhere in the middle of the jungle. There was a time when he had to search for him. He was dropped off in the middle of no mans land and managed to break him and some others out of bamboo cells with nothing but a few grenades and a bayonet. It wasn't so much as a rescue of Michael, as it was a retrieval of soldiers who had been missing in action.

It was against regulations for two people of the same family to be in the same unit. Being a pilot allowed him some freedom to keep track of his older brother. Sin Jin was glad of his brother becoming a pilot. He had less of a chance of being captured. It gave him piece of mind knowing that his brother was out of harm's way. It was easier to keep track of him this way. Sin Jin briefly met the man whose codename was Archangel. He was afraid the man would use his brother to his advantage and that didn't sit well with him. However the man was better than some of the spooks who worked for the government. Things were going well, if you could say that about a war that nobody wanted, until that fateful day when one of his men tripped a wire.

There were five, including himself... He trusted that word would get out that they had been captured: sooner rather than later. Michael found out first. He knew that Sin Jin and String were brothers. Although he was not String's immediate superior, he knew he had to get word to him about his brother. What proceeded after that was nothing short of a near miracle. Stringfellow had managed to find the location of where his brother and the others were held. He absconded with a chopper and went in alone. He managed to land the chopper about two clicks from where they were being held captive. He kept thinking that if it worked once...

He didn't know they could be a different band of guerrillas than he confronted earlier. Four soldiers were in what looked like bamboo baskets. They were positioned in such a way that they were crouching at awkward angles. Their eyes were nearly swollen shut. There were no guards around. His brother was nowhere in sight. That could only mean one thing...

Every sinew in his body screamed out to take action. He NEEDED to find his brother. He squatted and watched and listened. He heard the grunts. He would recognize that sound anywhere. He felt as though he could feel each blow that struck his brother. He had to move. HE HAD TO... He heard the sound of a chopper. NOW!

The distraction of the chopper was just enough to give him the momentum to free the prisoners. His rage allowed him to open them with the hilt of his knife. He ran toward the sound of his brother's breathing. There he stood trussed up like a turkey while gun fire was coming from above. Sin Jin's captors fled while String managed to cut his bindings and put an arm around his brother. Ropes were thrown from the chopper and hands were yanking in the prisoners. String saw a familiar face. The chopper was struggling to maintain altitude. Sin Jin pushed String toward the rope. String looked back at his brother. He hesitated for a moment. The chopper managed to gain altitude with String holding onto the rope. He saw his brother wave as he got smaller and smaller. He disappeared in the distance.

He had managed to tell his brother where the chopper was hidden. That was the only way he allowed his brother to remain behind. He waited.

It was only by the saving grace of Archangel that he was not court marshalled. Taking a bird without permission and then losing that bird was not taken lightly by the powers that be. Fortunately Michael Coldsmith Briggs III, convinced his commanding officer to drop the charges and went so far as to get the secretary of state to intervene on String's behalf. Taking a chopper against orders was a capitol offense and he could have been shot.

He kept waiting for Sin Jin to fly back in, carrying a load of M.I.A.s in tow. He would not have left him otherwise. The days passed with no word. String felt a nail in the coffin with each day that passed.

When his tour was finally over, he went home to Dominic. The boy had turned into a man, but the man was broken. He was going through the motions. On any given day, he would fly to the cabin, built by his grandfather, and enjoy the solitude. He found himself drawn to quiet. Any moment he could spare was spent on improvements. He wanted it to be ready for Sin Jin's return.

The days turned into months and the U.S. involvement in Vietnam came to an end. String never gave up hope. He ended up being recruited by Michael Coldsmith Briggs III for a top secret project. It was a challenge working on the helicopter that he would come to know as Airwolf. He had security clearance. He could fly practically any aircraft and Michael was pleased with his progress.

Unfortunately Hawke did not trust Moffet, the ship's designer, and had no qualms letting everyone associated with the helicopter know exactly how he felt.

This put Michael Coldsmith Briggs III in an untenable position. He had to choose between a pilot he trusted and a man who was the only one capable of designing such a fantastic machine. His superiors gave him no choice. He was not pleased with the decision. It left a bad taste in his mouth.

Stringfellow Hawke was left with his old job and his memories. Dominic allowed him luxury of keeping to himself with just enough jobs to keep the roof over his head. Hawke was pretty much left to his own devices. The days stretched out to months. He saw the eagle in the distance. He played his cello and noticed the eagle change its flight pattern. His mind drifted to Sin Jin. He could not give up hope, but he had no place to start looking. He watched the sun set. He knew he had to find a way.


	2. indespensable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hunt for Sin Jin is on.

Losing his job with Archangel was a double edged sword. It gave him more time to contact his sources in South East Asia, but his funds were running low. Hawke was aware of the distance of time would lessen his chances of finding his brother, dead or alive. He knew of the mass burial sites, similar to that of Germany in WW II. But he could not lose hope. Something deep within his gut told him he was still alive. He had become more of a recluse that fateful day when a far more worse than for wear Michael showed up with an aide at his cabin. The aide was female but not the one he was accustomed to seeing. She was more intelligent than he wanted to give her credit for. Hawke did a once over on his former boss. He knew the man was in pain and he noticed the darkened lense that covered his left eye, but he was still sore over their abrupt parting. He knew that Michael had been injured during Moffet's taking of Airwolf, but he had tried to warn him, and to he honest he no longer gave a damn about politics or Airwolf. His main concern was finding Sin Jin as a private citizen. 

By right's Michael had no business being out of the hospital. He should have lost his leg during the attack on the complex, if not his life. If he couldn't appeal to Hawke's sense of God and Country, he could give him the monetary resources to continue searching on the slimmest of hopes that his brother was still out there in South East Asia. He could even give him the names of a few contacts. Found M.I.A.s were practically none existent. He knew the money would not be enough incentive to get String interested in retrieving Airwolf. He had to appeal to him on some other level. In other words, give him whatever he wanted.

That was the past. Since Hawke retrieved Airwolf and had flown numerous missions for the Firm, including one or two rescue missions to find the battered intelligence agent, they had developed what some would consider a friendship.

Hawke would not forget, but he could forgive in his own way. Michael still kept secrets, but his line of work meant that he needed to be trusted and information was on a need to know basis. What Hawke didn't know was that for the last few years Michael had been funding the search for Sin Jin on his own. The government wanted no funding spent on finding M.I.A.s for a long forgotten war that the average citizen wanted to be laid to rest.

This was why Michael had to be sure that the grainy black and white photo was real. He knew he was being reassigned to Europe. Much as he fought to stay where he was, he had known for some time that he had outgrown his usefulness in this particular arena. Retirement was not an option just yet. He had to keep his hand in in order to keep the Firm in compliance with its charter. This was the one last thing he could do for his friend.

If this wasn't who he dare not say it was, he would continue to fight and help Hawke in any capacity, just at a greater distance. When he first got hold of the photo, all he could think of was the pictures on the milk cartons of missing children.

He stared at his fingernails, while he waited for Hawke to come to some conclusion. Calm on the outside, while fidgeting like crazy on the inside, he had practically held his breath...

"Michael, how did you come across this. What I mean is do you know where this was taken and when?" Hawke said quietly.

"Then it is him." Michael said just as softly.

Hawke allowed himself the luxury of a small smile and took action. He started to gather his forces and looked at Michael.

"If we leave now, we will be in Laos in ten hours. Do you need anything before we leave?"

"I have special forces set to leave on my command. I needed to be sure. It has to be kept low profile. Hawke, I want you to know that you have whatever resources the Firm can give you. I hope it works out for the best, but I have a prior commitment." Michael said while brushing his moustache.

"Prior commitment? What could be more important?" Hawke asked in confusion. He then realized that Michael had kept his word.

"I'm sorry Michael, I won't believe it until I see him, but you kept your word and...and well.." Hawke said at a loss for words.

"There's no need. It was part of our bargain remember? I'll talk to you when you get back." Michael said. Hawke would forgive him eventually, but he just couldn't tell his friend that finding Sin Jin cost him. Something about getting too close to his staff.

"Go find Santini and set it up. The coordinates are being loaded in Airwolf even as we speak. I am glad you could identify him and he's alive. Let me know if you need anything, if I can't get it I am sure that Marella will do what she can." Michael said while getting his briefcase and headed toward the door.

Before Hawke had a chance to react, Michael was gone.

He sat down for a minute to let the tears fall. His smile shone through the tears. He called Dom and told him that he would meet at the airfield. He wanted to be certain and show him the photo. He had already wasted too much valuable time. Airwolf would be the best way to get there. 

Michael had already approved the refueling and had an aircraft carrier on standby for checking the status of Sin Jin or possibly more passengers.

Unfortunately a secret this big does not stay a secret for long. There would be some who would not want the return of Sin Jin, or any other M.I.A.

As he got out of the jeep, something felt off. He ran toward the helicopter and was blown back by the explosion.

His mind screamed in agony. "Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo" as darkness took over and he tried to pull what he could see of Dominic Santini toward his crushed chest.

The darkness swallowed him whole as he felt his ribs cave in. His last thought was of being so close to his brother. He didn't want it to end like this. A curse formed on his breath, but never made it past his lips.


	3. after shocks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hawke is seriously injured and Dom is dead. What more could happen?

Hawke woke in a hospital room with machines all around him. He felt like he had been hit by a semi and then the wheels backed over him to finish the job. He tried to move, but felt the fire in his chest that meant he had at least two busted ribs. He was bandaged from waist to chest.

Things were slowly coming back to him and coming into focus. He was alone and there was a part of him that was frightened. He closed his eyes because it was easier. He concentrated on the last thing he clearly remembered. He had been flying with Jo Santini, Dom's niece and had landed at Santini Airfield. He was just about to talk with Dom when all hell broke loose.

He moaned in pain and in anguish. A nurse entered his room and injected something into his I.V. He fought to prevent the needle from entering the tube. He couldn't move his arms and cried out once more before succumbing to darkness.

He woke a few hours later. He had lost all sense of time and wanted nothing more than to sleep. Two things were nagging at him. Where was Dominic?? Why wasn't Archangel or one of his assistants watching over him. He was scared because there was not a single soul that he knew. There should have at least been one person in white associated with The Firm. He knew that Dom had been injured but he had no idea of his condition.

He knew it was worse than the times before. He had always managed to come out of such scrapes unscathed, but he wasn't sure about it this time. He felt he had nine lives like a cat and that he had a few lives left. He had felt the force of Dom's body as it was blown against him, forcing him to the ground. He needed to hang on. He needed to know want happened to Dominic. He needed to find Sin Jin. Despite all the years with no word, he had kept believing that his brother was still out there, alive.

Despite the odds, he needed to know whether his brother was alive or dead. He needed some sense of closure. When he was with his brother last, his brother pushed him toward the chopper. Had he known that Sin Jin would never return, he would have never left him.

He knew the odds were next to impossible that his brother was alive, but he would do everything in his power to find him. He knew that he was blackmailing Archangel, but he was running out of resources. He had sensed that Michael was no longer using the Firm to search for his brother. He knew Michael had resources beyond the Firm's reach.

He didn't give a damn about the repercussions were if they found Sin Jin or his remains. He knew that there were other families that felt the same way. He wanted his brother back at all costs.

Where was Michael? He sensed something was wrong during their last conversation, but surely someone from the Firm would be there unless...

Unless something had happened that prevented Michael from sending someone over, or if the explosion was more serious than he thought. Unable to do much of anything, String laid in bed and prayed.

No one was telling him anything. He didn't recognize anyone. He was scared... Not even Jo Santini had visited his room. No one told him about Dominic and his condition. Hell, he didn't even know what happened to him.

The door opened and a nurse came in. He tried to speak but only a raspy whisper came out. She was busy checking his bandages and inserting something into the I.V. String tried to reach out, but had only the strength enough to lift a finger.

Darkness took him once more.


	4. reflections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> pieces of the puzzle start falling into place

The next time that Hawke woke, he was being shaken by Jo Santini and the pain from his wounds took on a different form. He was gasping for breath when nurses managed to pull her off him. He knew that others were in the room, but could not find the breath to ask what was going on.

Before she was yanked off of him, Jo managed to say a few things that finally registered in his psyche: the most disturbing of which was the death of her uncle.

In his mind he knew it was true. In his heart, he could not face the fact that the closest man he could have as a father was gone. Dom did not die peacefully in his sleep but was I direct contact with an explosion. Dom had been blown away by the force and the only thing that had prevented him from going further and onto to the tarmac was String running toward him.

String's body took the force of the impact. The normally resilient body felt the brunt of the force of his friend's body. The man was nearly fifty pounds heavier and because it was dead weight, did more harm because of the force of impact.

He could not hold back the tears. He kept telling himself it was the medication and nothing more. He could not help but think that he was crying for Sin Jin as well. When he counted the years since he had last seen his brother they were in the double digits starting to turn into another decade. Was what he was praying for nothing more than a dream? After the force of Dominic's body against his own, he wondered... He wondered if asking Michael to look for him, was it realistic to hope for such a farfetched miracle.

Once more he wondered why Michael hadn't told him in person. Where was the man in white? If not him then one of his aides should have shown up by now. Before he could ask any question, a nurse put something in his I.V. and he found himself fighting for consciousness. He lost the battle once more.


	5. all good things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael receives the news

Michael paced in the small office in Italy. He was here on an undercover assignment that required months of preplanning and blending into the woodwork for an extended period of time. He had just received word that Dominic Santini had been killed by a chopper explosion on his airfield. His instinct said that it was not an accident, and he hoped his replacement was looking into that possibility.

His main concern was for Stringfellow Hawke. He knew that Hawke was seriously injured. There was no legitimate reason to break cover just because a man that he had come to respect and call friend was injured. He knew that he should have told String that he would be gone for an indefinite period of time. He never expected this to happen. Now that the wheels were in motion, it simply wasn't possible for him to leave. He managed to make arrangements for the Firm to be present in some way at Dom's service and he assumed that someone was watching over String. That was the best he could do from these small offices.

He had taken the assignment for one other reason than the praise he had received by his superiors. He had heard the diatribe before about being the only man for the job. He knew better. Simply put he was the best 'available' man for the job. It gave him a chance to go to his old stomping grounds before Nam and it also gave him the chance to speak with those he personally hired to search for Sin Jin.

He felt it even more imperative to find him now that String was injured. He was unable to get daily reports on his friend and for the third time since the search had began, he had a lead on String's brother.

He knew what the reperrcussions would be if Sin Jin were found alive. Giving the government a black eye was not his problem. With Dom dead, helping his friend was top priority. He was still early in developing his cover. He may not be there in person for moral support, but the search could finally be over.

So there he sat. He twirled his cane and looked at his watch for the umpteenth time. Patience was not his strong suit. He could hear Cate in the back of his mind. She would remind him to stay off the leg. He had said his good byes with a promise to return. Despite her tears, she knew he had to do this. He knew that the time would go, day by day, until he would be in her arms again. He closed his eyes and put out his hand. He could almost feel her and see her smile. He was lost in the moment when the knock came on the door. He walked toward it and opened it cautiously. He need no photograph to recognize the man before him. Despite the years and the torture he had gone through, Michael knew in an instant. The one thing he felt was remorse. It had taken too damn long and Michael wondered if there was enough time left. Sin Jin stood before him with a look of exhaustion. Michael had to debrief him before he went home to his brother. He had a little under two hours before his jet would be fueled and ready to take Sin Jin back to the states and String. Sin Jin smiled and proceeded with a left hook to the unsuspected intelligence agent. He rubbed his hand as he looked at Archangel who had fallen from the force of the blow. He offered his hand to help the man up and smiled. He felt a sense of relief flood through him as he dusted the man off. "Welcome back." Michael said as he rubbed his jaw. He smiled. The blow had landed on his jaw perfectly and there was no doubt in his mind that the man before him was String's brother and the search was over. 


	6. homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sin Jin finally makes it to his brother

Sin Jin was sitting on a jet headed toward the States. This was a flight that was supposed to have taken place long ago. He always thought he would find a way to come back home with his brother. String had followed him to Vietnam and had a guardian angel, rather Archangel, looking after him. He remembered pushing his brother toward the rope from the chopper that Michael was in. Sin Jin had every intention of taking the chopper that was two clicks away and picking up some P.O.W.'s on the way. He was on his way only to find the enemy had beaten him to it. No problem. All he needed to do was to find a patrol on the hunt for the enemy. Unfortunately, word had gotten out that a certain blond soldier had managed a successful rescue of prisoners. Sin Jin was over six foot. He was a giant compared to his captors and he had a hard time blending into the environment. He knew just enough Vietnamese to get him in trouble. Knowing that the Viet Cong were searching for him was not all that comforting. He would not risk finding soldiers to help him only to lead them into an ambush. The Viet Cong did not follow the rules of the Geneva convention. 

That meant he was alone.

His one consolation was knowing that his brother was safe.

That knowledge kept him going through all the years of captivity and evading the enemy. He was no stranger to torture, but he knew how to separate his mind from pain. Ironically those who were best at torture were not the Viet Cong but the mercenaries for hire. Those who understood the English language far too well, and knew more about torture from history that the Viet Cong.

His longest capture was right before he managed his final escape. They knew of an airship that his brother had commandeered that he knew nothing about. From what he learned of it, his brother, and Dominic Santini had managed to take it from the Government. He could not hide his pride at that fact. He knew that his brother's sense of justice would not allow him to be a gun for hire. Something had told him that Archangel was involved and he had an admiration for the man: especially after seeing him lower the rope from the chopper.

The aggravating thing was that he was to keep a low profile. No one must know that he had been Missing In Action for this length of time. The cover story was that he was left behind to look for any survivors of the war. No one need know how long he was there.

His priority was to see his brother. 

The only thing they told him was that he was in serious condition and that he took the brunt force of Dominic's body landing into him. Archangel told him personally. 

He was allowed the luxury of privacy, courtesy of Michael's jet. He was grateful for that because he wasn't up for the polite banter that would come with meeting people.

When they landed, he was ushered into a white limousine and driven directly to the hospital. He had the time in the elevator to find the words to say to his brother. He only wished Michael could have been there to help with the homecoming.

Despite the fact that it was long overdue, he was scared. Nothing prepared him for walking through that door and seeing what the years had done to his brother. He could only imagine what his brother would say when they were reunited after all these years. He wiped his sleeve over his eyes and opened the door to where his brother was lying. Sin Jin saw what remained of his brother. He took a deep breath.

"I leave you alone and this is what happens while I'm away." he said trying to keep a steady tone in his voice. It was no use, the last words faded as tears fell from his eyes. He held onto his little brother and let the tears fall on his brother's back. He tried to give him what strength he had left as his arms encircled the bandages that held String together.

They were left alone. They were there supporting each other in the only way two brothers could.


	7. bittersweet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sin Jin takes String home

Sin Jin managed to get String out of the hospital unnoticed with the help of Michael's associates. For the first time since arriving back in the states, he was given the opportunity to be left alone with his brother. He saw the chopper and re-familiarized himself with the dials and the buttons. It may be a newer version, but if there was a machine with wings, he could fly it. He placed String into the passenger seat and made sure he was comfortable. He made sure that his brother had enough padding for this flight back to the cabin. Despite the years he remembered. 

He remembered the gift his grandfather gave his grandmother. He remembered his father working with his grandfather making improvements on what was once a bare bones log structure. It was a retreat that ended up being the family home. Ever since he got to fly, he would find himself going there. He would sometimes bring someone else along, either his brother and on that rare occasion, a girl. That was tricky, At the time they had no phone lines connected. They used a short wave radio to communicate with the outside world.

He wondered if String had followed in his footsteps. He looked over at his brother and wondered if he would get the chance to ask him. Tears stung his eyes as they neared the cabin.

He had to tell Michael, but knowing the man the way he did, Sin Jin knew Michael was more than aware. Despite the distance, Michael had planned this out to the last detail. If there was any hope... Dammit!! This couldn't be happening. String was unconscious beside him. In the hospital he pleaded with his brother not to die, at least not here in some antiseptic room. No sooner had Sin Jin came home, then he had to face the death of his friend and father figure. He kept thinking his timing was off. If only... If only, if only. He didn't know if he could share the news with his brother. He could not face the fact that he was bringing his brother home for the last time.

He landed the chopper on the dock.

The sun was setting and Saint John let the tears fall. He was caught in a maelstrom of coming home for the first time in years and bringing his newly reacquainted brother to his final resting place. He checked his breast pocket for the morphine to ease his brother's final moments and carried him gently up the steps.

He noticed the improvements and the different furniture. He opened the glass doors and placed String on the sofa facing the view.

His little brother opened his eyes and felt the tears. Michael had brought Sin Jin home. It should have been a joyous occasion. Dominic was gone, and he knew how severe his injuries were. If there had been any hope, he knew they would have left him in the hospital. His brother had brought him home to die.

"Sin Jin? Where are you?" he managed to say with about half his normal strength.

"I'm here little brother. Are you up for this?" he said as he sat next to him offering a glass of wine.

"I have had dreams where all of us were sitting here. Michael with his eye covered, Dom with that crooked grin, and the two of us with glasses saluting to God and country. Why? Why does it have to end this way? Dom is dead for no real reason. Michael is God knows where and I am dying before I had a chance to have you back again. It isn't fair. Why dammit? WHY?" String said in anguish.

"Little brother, how did you know?" he asked.

"You brought me home. If Dom were still breathing you would have been going to his room before flying me here. Michael finally found you. Our deal is made. They can have Airwolf. I'm tired. I am so tired." String said.

He managed to lift up the glass with his last ounce of strength. Saint John clinked the glass with his own and helped his brother take a sip.

"Good choice. 58 Merlot, right?" String managed to say.

Saint John put the glasses down and went to hold his brother. He listened to his brother's breathing. He held String in his arms and was thrust back to the time when Dominic gave them the devastating news.

That night the bond was set in stone. 

Sin Jin knew what he had to do one last time...


	8. epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this can't be real

It wasn't much. It was just a couple of gnarled roots that were next to some plaques with the names of his grandparents and a memorial to two missing people whose bodies were never recovered.

It was a place that was on a hill that overlooked the water and the cabin. 

He was surrounded by echoes. He swore he could hear his grandfather in the distance. He was being bounced on the man's knee.

Silence filled the sky. The colors were changing, but before the stars came out, he heard the familiar sound of an eagle. He looked up and the majestic emblem of the country, swooped near the dock.

He had never seen one do that before in all the years he had been coming up to his home.

He knew then that his brother would never be alone. He walked down to the cabin, oblivious to the tears that fell from his eyes.

Come the dawn, a new chapter in his life would begin. I new chapter in a new world. 

Once more, he was alone. At least he was home...

 

finis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> when I recently saw the last episode with Jan Michael Vincent, I found it lacking. I hope you like my version of filling the gaps. Much as I wanted a happy ending, the piece wrote itself and left me with an ache in my heart. Thanks for reading a piece that took some time to write itself.
> 
> barb


End file.
